Safe travel route from Medford, Oregon to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 

I just completed the drive from Philadelphia PA to Medford, OR, and was petrified of some of the mountain passes I navigated. Using Google Maps as my guide, I followed Route 80 to Route 140 in Nevada, and then followed 140 most of the way to Medford. Here is the problem: That route forced me to navigate several mountain passes that had a very steep grade (7-9%), and hairpin turns on the sides of cliffs without guard rails. Entering one of those passes, (after driving almost 200 miles with no gas stations, there was a sign that said "This is Your Last Warning" about the danger. At that point, I couldn't turn back!! I never want to do that drive again, but don't know if any of the other routes are better. I will need to drive back during the first week of May. HELP! Can anyone who is familiar with the area please tell me if I would have faced the same nerve-wracking dangers if I had followed 80 to Reno, and then taken Routes 395/36/44/89/5 to Medford? Please help... I am sick over the thought of having to face the same conditions again!

Take a route that is interstate highways - those will not have any of the hairpin turns

The snow will be gone by May. Yes 140 is scary for anyone who has not driven on roads like this before.
Does that car have to go back to PA? If it is just you and not a large amount of baggage, get over to Klamath Falls and take the Coast Starlight south to Sacramento (Leaves KFS @ 10PM and arrives in SAC about 6:30AM. You have nearly 5 hours before boarding the California Zephyr all the way to Chicago. Spend a night in Chicago and then take the Capitol Limited to Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvanian to Philadelphia.

<i>I will need to drive back during the first week of May.</i>

I-5 south to I-80 at Sacramento, I-80 east to I-76 at Youngstown, I-76 east to S. Broad St. Guaranteed no hairpins, and by May no snow or ice.

Sometime between now and May get to see Crater Lake NP.
For now you will have to use the south entrance off Rt. 62.
Another safe route back east would be to take 62 to 230 to Diamond Lake Junction. Take Rt. 138 east to US 97 and then north on 97 to Bend. Take US 20 east out of Bend all the way to Ontario OR (240 miles). Spend the night in Ontario and then go over the Snake to get on I-84. Except around Boise the speed limit is 80. I-84 ties into I-80 north of SLC.
My advice to anyone who sees a gas station that is open when the gas gauge is under half is to fill up no matter what the price per gallon is.

I can vouch for the I-76. I am petrified of mountain driving and did ok. I did not see any runaway truck ramps.

Thanks to all for the advice. I will look into each of the options! For now, I think the plan is to bring the car back, driving I-5 to Sacramento, and then take I-80 all the way to 76, but I will look into the other options (including shipping the car back or selling it, and then flying!).

Thanks tomfuller for the advice on Crater Lake. I've heard great things about it - Are the roads OK for someone like myself who doesn't like driving high narrow mountain pass roads? (I fell off a bridge when I was a kid and spent a good deal of time in the hospital, so I have a real reason for my fears.)

Thanks again, all - I appreciate your insights.

>>Are the roads OK for someone like myself who doesn't like driving high narrow mountain pass roads?<<

Crater Lake will still be snowed in in May -- the park will be open but most areas will be closed off . . . And from what you say, I don't think it would be a comfortable place for you.

Instead of Crater Lake -- if you do go I-80, you can detour over from Truckee to Lake Tahoe. There are no scary roads or cliffs to worry about as long as you don't drive around Emerald Bay (or over hwy 50)

These will give you an idea why you might not feel comfortable at Crater Lake:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Crat...Hb2HCEEQsAQIGw

Spring is coming early to Oregon. It hit 60F in Bend today.
Hire someone to take you to Crater Lake sometime in early May. Wear a blindfold until the car is parked at the parking lot of the Crater Lake Lodge. There is a ranger led snowshoe walk that starts at the lodge every Saturday.
If you do sell the car to finance the trip back to Philadelphia, you could take the bus from the RVTD Transit center to K-Falls (leaves at 4:10PM getting to KFS by 7PM to catch the Coast Starlight at 10PM. The fare for a coach seat all the way back to Philadelphia is as low as $302. You would spend that much on gas and motel rooms.
Are you ever coming back in a warmer season?

tom - did you read that the OP doesn't like mountain roads/drop offs, etc. Do you really think she'd be comfortable on that road????

>>Wear a <b>blindfold</B> until the car is parked at the parking lot of the Crater Lake Lodge. <<

HUH? I understood it to mean she was driving solo. Yes -- a blindfold solves <i>everything</i> >)

>>Spring is coming early to Oregon. It hit 60F in Bend today.<<

Yes - spring came today -- it is 70 down here. But we're still in el Nino mode - the current snow packs are much deeper than the last 4 years and we are due for more rain/snow over the next two months..